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Figure Review: Shinobu Oshino Plain Clothes ver. by Kotobukiya

I admit I might have a problem. As I write this there are eight Shinobu figures on display behind me. Well, technically one is Kiss-Shot but yeah, same thing. While the character didn’t really become relevant until the very end of Bakemonogatari, she has kind of become the ultimate moe character for me. Kotobukiya’s rendition here isn’t their first, but it is their most recent. It got a bit lost in the shuffle as I was working on some home improvements when it first arrived. But finally I had the inkling to do a real photo shoot.

Kotobukiya’s previous Shinobu figure really gets right what makes the character so moe (it’s really all about the donuts). This one is… fine. The pose and overall presentation are all right, but I think they whiffed on her face. Something about it looks generic and oddly flat (especially her mouth). The proportions probably could have been adjusted a bit to fit the Monogatari style better.

Face issue aside this is a well-executed figure. The paint job is clean and I like the detailing on the sculpt. It’s not super fine but is great for a 1/8-scale. I also would like to see a bit more shading in her clothes but it looks all right as-is. Even under the scrutiny of my macro lens, there isn’t much for me to complain about. I’d say that donut in her hand looks too plasticky but that’s it.

I kept this shoot very basic because it was late and I didn’t have the energy to build a set. But there was a problem to solve as Shinobu isn’t in a vertical orientation here. With figures that are sitting or kneeling, you often get more of the base or tabletop in your shot. I didn’t want to go that route this time, so I put the whole figure in a martini glass to raise it off the table. For some reason it just felt right.